Conventionally, a vehicular navigation apparatus is developed to introduce a specified HMI application from outside using a dedicated wireless device (e.g., DCM: Data Communication Module) or a mobile telephone terminal. Using the HMI application, the vehicular navigation apparatus provides information through user interface (UI) output such as display or audio output by the HMI application (see patent document 1).
The inventors of the present application found the following concerning the vehicular navigation apparatus. In order to incorporate the HMI application from outside and operate it, the conventional vehicular navigation apparatus needs to individually develop an application suited for operational requirements of this vehicular navigation apparatus. For example, HMI applications are developed to conform to open platforms for handheld terminals such as smartphones. However, the developed HMI applications cannot be directly introduced into the vehicular navigation apparatus for operation.
The vehicular navigation apparatus operates ready-made vehicular applications that are originally installed to provide route guidance, car audiovisual information, and obstacle avoidance guidance using a clearance sonar. Accordingly, the following problem may arise if the vehicular navigation apparatus can introduce an HMI application other than applications exclusively developed for the vehicular navigation apparatus.
For example, an HMI application acquired from outside may display a UI output image in cases where a ready-made vehicular application should display a UI output screen. As a result, the original ready-made application may not display the UI output screen.
To avoid this situation, adjustment is needed so that audiovisual UI output from the ready-made application does not compete with UI output from the HMI application introduced from outside. In regard to this point, in the conventional vehicular navigation apparatus, an externally-introduced HMI application should be provided with individual set-up in consideration of operational requirements for the vehicular navigation apparatus into which the HMI application is to be externally introduced. Therefore, considerable development resources are needed to individually develop HMI applications suited for the vehicular navigation apparatus requirements. This may hamper widespread use of HMI applications that are excellent in information freshness or general versatility.